According to NetNames, a leading internet registrar, the trio applied within five minutes of each other for rights to use the word "polo" in their URL. Ralph Lauren, owner of polo.com, missed out by only three minutes and 24 seconds.

The .eu domain was launched in December and opens to the public in four weeks. Trademark holders have had a "sunrise period" since December to register their own trademarks, the story said.

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The names are given out on a first-come-first-serve basis to applicants who then have 40 days to provide proof they hold a trademark in that name.

All EU institutions will begin using the .eu domain in their web addresses from April next year.